It is exciting to think we can still make discoveries that offer further insight into our past. Two carvings have been discovered in a Far North shed, in Okahu, 5km south of Kaitaia.
They were going to be thrown out until Mahue and Barry Wiki saved them from possible destruction. What is exciting about these carvings is that they appear to be pre-European examples of pou which adorned the front of wharenui. It is not known how long they were in the shed. And despite being in partly damaged condition, they have provided a unique insight into cultural history.
Te Rarawa Runanga chairman Haami Piripi says experts have recognised Ngapuhi carving techniques and styles, but the pou are unusual in that they depict women armed with weapons.
Historically, women were regarded as taonga due to their ability to produce life, ie, children. So they did not enter battle, and sat behind men on formal occasions, for protection from the enemy. It is a custom that tauiwi (non-Maori) occasionally interpret as chauvinism, but it has its roots in chivalry, not misogyny. European missionaries spreading the word of God would have pou destroyed, as they represented an alternative spiritual authority to the Lord. It was a misunderstanding of the Maori concept of spirituality, and as we now know, those misunderstandings around Maori tikanga - land "ownership" for example - continued well into the 19th century. A proper process will take place to determine the pou's age and ownership. Until then they are safe from destruction in a climate-controlled area at the Te Ahu centre in Kaitaia.
If only they could talk.
